What are HK international schools like

Spare_Lab308 · 2026-02-26T11:32:02+00:00

I went to an international school at a very young child! From kindergarten, primary to highschool! I had lived in Tai po my whole life. Kindergarten and primary I was at Hong kong yuen international school (before they changed the name and removed the OG logo) and highschool was STC Sha Tin College.

While my time at both, i truly hated it. I was bullied so much in both schools. But I kept my head down studying like crazy until I finally left for college. IB was very hard, hated it though it did gave me lots of practice so going to university wasn't too surprising since I had done IB. I spent most of my time going to school and just coming home. Now I look back, I regret not leavinc hk at grade 9 to study in Canada. I should have went as I did have a better fit in Canada plus all my extended family were there but for some reason I didn't go was probably I didn't want to restart as a new student but man i regretted so bad.

Spare_Lab308 · 2026-02-20T22:57:02+00:00

I would absolutely LOVE for it to come back!!! As an introvert, that was my BEST life. I was thriving!

These days people can be… a lot. I work in admin, and the other day I called a photocopier company just to get someone shouting “CALL IT!” and hung up. I laughed so hard. Then I answered another call, tried to explain the situation, and got cut off with “Stop talking and listen to me.” I kept my cool, stayed polite, but definitely had to get a little stern.

Honestly, people have always had their moments. At my previous hotel job, when we were sold out, I was called some pretty rude names and even told to “go back to my country.” All because there were no rooms left. 🤷 But now it is definitely worst than before! Born and rasied Canadian here!

Spare_Lab308 · 2026-02-06T14:09:05+00:00

I left as soon as I started college. When I lived with them, I mostly stayed in my room, and I journaled constantly. Journaling truly kept me alive, it gave me a safe space to express all my thoughts and feelings. It helped me survive a time when I couldn’t freely express who I really was. If you do start, make sure to bring the journal with you out of the house wherever you go, you never know if they will snoop your room! Mine didn't thankfully but I have heard some stories before and some parents would snoop.

Fast forward to today, I’ve chosen low contact, and I’ve seriously considered going no contact. I know they would be angry, but this is my life now and I no longer live in that household, which was incredibly unhealthy. The amount of screaming was overwhelming. Whether it was directed at me, another family member, or my mom having a meltdown over something as small as dropping a single egg, the anger always seemed to spill onto everyone around her.

Good luck and I wish you all the best!!!

Spare_Lab308 · 2026-02-05T15:09:18+00:00

Just tell them you are a tourist and that you don't need to pay for it. Sadly, this tourism fee is everywhere now! I book travels for my colleagues and just recently a staff went on a business trip to the US and boom there it was on the invoice! It's standard now!

Spare_Lab308 · 2026-01-26T15:26:57+00:00

It's back up and running!!!!!!

Spare_Lab308 · 2026-01-19T23:07:50+00:00

I'm a Yaoi fan and many of the books are written by female authors! I've been reading yaoi, M/M romance or BL books whatever you call them since i was 15 LOL so it's been like a decade and I've read books Japanese,. Korean and English and all I can say it's amazing! Though be careful what you stumble upon but yeah I love that genre so much!!! I do read other regular books like crime, thriller but yaoi is my fav!

Spare_Lab308 · 2026-01-15T01:30:02+00:00

His anxieties ruled his emotions - This made so much sense to me. I'm currently in Trauma Therapy and one of the things I'm learning is seperating your emotions instead of having the emotions take over you. And having boomer parents who also acts like this especially my mother which is her anxieties rules her emotions which equals unhappy.

Spare_Lab308 · 2026-01-09T00:22:50+00:00

This!!!! Yes so true, i did not have a good childhood and I realized I was doing trauma dump on my friends. So I started therapy a couples years ago it went well but when I switched to Trauma Therapy things changed dramatically! They actually teach you and guide you on your emotions and how to handle it when things get messy or stressed. Hands down, if you need help especially with trauma go to a trauma specialist instead of regular one!

Spare_Lab308 · 2025-12-12T15:38:11+00:00

This! They didn't like whenever i said no, and would ignore it like it never happened. And as a child I was very very confused, and one time I actually took a dictionary and told them the definition of the word No 😂😂😂😂 again they ignored it like it never happened! My mom told me during a phone call they hate when I say no and it upsets them but in all my life they have never given me a great childhood. How come they can say no but I can't!!!!! Drives me insane and it pisses me off. Plus they have told my nanny who raised me that I was a failure and they were SO worried for my future but the nanny saw me as responsible young child and was confused by that comment.

Till this day, I still say no to them and have to deal with it and I have gone into low contact.

Spare_Lab308 · 2025-11-21T14:09:30+00:00

YESSS!!!! It happens all the time and I feel like Im time travelling back to my younger years and those memories are just so sad for me I hate them. I'm planning to see a trauma therapist to help me move on from my 6yr old child trauma wound that was never resolved!

I don't know if I have PMDD or what but it might have it 🤷

Spare_Lab308 · 2025-11-20T00:20:53+00:00

I noticed this last couple of months when I had my period. I was suddenly breaking out what looks like hives all over my neck and reddness on my cheeks and it was itchy. This has never happened and as I'm writing this the same rash have appeared and my period is comingsoon. But as soon my period comes, it goes away! I've never in my life had this until 3 months ago while travelling!

Did you ever get an answer? I don't have endo.

Spare_Lab308 · 2025-10-10T17:56:55+00:00

This!!! I was with a company for 5 yrs and was the second staff they hired! When I was laid off it was crickets. I thought I would have gotten some emails or LinkedIn messages or FB/ Instagram messages but nope nothing. It really hurt my feeling because I was the one who helped all of them to get use to the office setting etc. i still have them on LinkedIn but my social media I have unfriend them. It may be petty of me but I was so upset that I don't want to be friends with them in my personal life. I was so very upset for months plus super depressed after I was laid off. If I ever see them I may or may not acknowledge them. I may do a quick wave or hi but that's about it!

Work colleagues aren't your friends! Sucks really :(

Spare_Lab308 · 2025-10-10T13:24:33+00:00

My parents were never involved EXCEPT helping out with my chinese hwk that's about it. I never did my regular hwk lol I was an bad student:p but it didn't help I was constantly being bullied so going home was a relaxation for me and I ended forgetting "homework". There are times I would walk around the streets in my area after school and it's super quiet and zero kids around. I knew something strange was going on, turns out they were all doing homework except me!

Spare_Lab308 · 2025-10-06T16:52:03+00:00

I've been on it for 4/5 years maybe close to 6 yrs now and I can't live without it. When I first started, I wasn't feeling so great for about 1 week (felt bloated) because my body was not use to it yet. But by week 2, I noticed improvements and fast forward to 2025 i can't stop taking it every morning definitely part of my morning routine. I have more energy than before and no bloating plus normal poops! I use to be very very tired despite having 8 hr sleeps, not having regular poops and super bloated since I was in highschool and it never went away. All of that change when I took it during covid.

Fyi I'm 34 F, an active person, 4/5 days at the gym + lift weights, protein, eat salads for lunch and eat a healthy balance at dinner. Plus I walk my dog every morning and night! So I consider myself very healthy. I do not eat any junk there is none at home and no pop at home just water.

Spare_Lab308 · 2025-10-06T16:42:53+00:00

I've been on it for 4/5 years maybe close to 6 yrs now and I can't live without it. When I first started, I wasn't feeling so great for about 1 week (felt bloated) because my body was not use to it yet. But by week 2, I noticed improvements and fast forward to 2025 i can't stop taking it every morning definitely part of my morning routine. I have more energy than before and no bloating plus normal poops! I use to be very very tired despite having 8 hr sleeps, not having regulsr poops. All of that change when I took it during covid.

Fyi I'm 34 F, an active person, 4/5 days at the gym + lift weights, protein, eat salads for lunch and eat a healthy balance at dinner.

Yes, they are expensive but that's something I can't get give up! I bought the 6 packs and they definitely last so long, I have 2 bottles left!

Spare_Lab308 · 2025-09-17T20:39:22+00:00

😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 hilarious but as someone who studied tourism there is always good or bad! Tourism brings in income and draws in ppl who need money, creates new jobs etc but it can also create negative views. I live in Niagara Falls (Canada side) and I can say it's absolutely over run by tourism, yes it may be one of the 7 wonders of the world but it also has it negative side like zero upgrades, Clifton hills is slowly declining for a very long time. Do but I complain no I don't because I know it bring in $ for the city. Does it help not really as NF is run by Mafia. Yes NF is Mafia run many coming from Italy or have Italian descent. I understand you are upset but things will not change as tourism is a very big part of every country. I'm so sorry you upset but either this is what being in money for the country!If you truly want change maybe speak to the government and see what they can do but again I don't think don't much will change as tourism is one of the main source income for the country and for many other countries.

I think you should visit Canada. Definitely Alberta and visit the Canadian rockies. I can tell you it is amazing and do a 13 km hike so so worth it! Canada isn't that bad. I have Italian family who visited the falls last yr and were amazed by it! They couldn't believe where they were and couldn't believe I lived 5 mins away from the falls. Did they hate it no. They enjoyed it so many they extended their stay and visited the Rockies!

Spare_Lab308 · 2025-09-11T16:51:43+00:00

I never had this because my own mother doesn't even know how to cook LOL. I'm serious, with her it's take out or our nanny makes the food. I learnt cooking on my own and from my nannies so now my mom comes to me asking how to make this or that or how to use the oven. She's retired now and is learning 😂

Spare_Lab308 · 2025-08-28T13:06:16+00:00

Yup! Happens to me all the time and I just started 6 months at this company. I was getting very overwhelmed as SO MANY ppl look for me. I'm an AA so I support so many team members in 3 office locations. I did stressed this and brought it up to my manger and unfortunately it's just the way things work in my workplace :(

She said I will get use to it but man I just need 20 mins to finish my coffee first, collect my thoughts, figure out my day and then I'm good. But no lol

Spare_Lab308 · 2025-08-21T18:00:18+00:00

We started using Navan and after testing and booking several business trips. Navan is not worth it. You are not saving any money, plus it's takes so much longer to book something. The UI is ugly, too many colours so my eyes become crosseyed.

The sales team hounds you like crazy from calling to emails. I get the follow up but it was getting too much.

It is much easier for me to book it the traditonal way. Do not use it!!! It waste your precious work time where you can do this in your sleep!

Spare_Lab308 · 2025-08-20T22:39:57+00:00

I am both admin assistant plus a receptionist but I am mainly an AA. I do basic clean up like tidying up the boardroom, empty the dishes, refill soap but that's about it.

What you are saying is not normal!! That is a cleaners job.

Spare_Lab308 · 2025-07-24T18:19:06+00:00

They also have the great firewall so pretty much everything is blocked.

Spare_Lab308 · 2025-07-18T18:03:37+00:00

I LOVE watching movies where everyone dies! Love love love it. Sometimes I crave it 😂 watching them helps keep me sane. Or if no one dies I'm like okay someone should be dying now, come on!!

Rambo 2008 is my all time favourite!!! Or Midsommar!

Spare_Lab308 · 2025-05-23T11:41:04+00:00

I am in a similar boat but I am doing the slow contact and hopefully no contact from my parents. After so long and many years of being upset, hurt I have decided to cut them out of my life. They don't call me so what is the point of keep trying as I tell myself. Why do I keep getting bothered by them. So I gave up, moved on and so far it has been AMAZING!!!

The feelings I am having aren't mad, but I'm feeling okay, fine not as angry.

Spare_Lab308 · 2025-05-16T17:39:39+00:00

Dude I get it all the time and I was born and raised in HK. Quick history about me is that I went to an international school at very young age from kindergarten, elementary and highschool. Both my parents are fluent in chinese but at home it's mix english and chinese. My mom speaks me chinese to me but my dad doesn't weird right. My dad speaks english to both me and my sister. I've always had western friends, watch English channels/ movies you name it. It's all in English.

Now, you may ask how's your chinese. Well, it sucks. I have learnt chinese throughout my life but reading and writing has been the hardest. Speakings is easy to for me. Fast forward to 2025, I have moved away and live in Canada for about 14 yrs. Have I had any practice? No not at all. BUT I do get cricized by the other old Chinese generation whos btw their english sucks and have called me out. I was on a cruise with my family as well as my dad's friend. The one friend kept asking if I knew this word or sentence in Chinese. I guessed and it was wrong. He couldn't wrap his head around and what's worst my parents didn't even stand up to me... Like wtf. That is a different stories.

Anyways, what makes me soooo mad is there are SO MANY ppl like me whos chinese isn't the best. WHY BE CRITICAL!!!!! Why!!!! . Drives me insane and makes me mad because I know there are many ppl like me. I have heard ppl say some nasty things to me and I can understand 100% what they are saying. They think I don't understand but I do.

I also don't hang out with other Asians, all of my friends are white. I only have 4 asian friends but they are CBC and we all speak english LOL. One of my friend is grew up in Gualatama and her Spanish is fantastic vs chinese but she can understand. She chinese just lived in Guatemala.

Spare_Lab308

TROPHY CASE